Michelle Falcon - Viola and Violin Player

Michelle Falcon is a professional freelance viola and violin player. Having played in string quartets since 1998, Michelle has a wealth of experience in playing chamber music and performing in that forum for concerts, weddings and functions. She is a keen chamber musician and has performed in various recitals with the Bath Spa String Quartet including performances for Bath International Music Festival and Rode Chamber Music Society. In chamber music roles, Michelle has received coaching from the Badke, Emperor, Chilingirian, Skampa and Kuss Quartets. She has performed viola sonatas by Brahms, Shostakovich, Martinu and Bax in masterclasses with Martin Outram, Garfield Jackson, Suzy Meszaros and Yuko Inoue and in 2011 was the only solo viola player to be selected to perform in one of the LDSM Artists Concert at Grasmere, as part of the Lake District Summer Music Festival. Michelle frequently performs as a duo with pianist Olga Paliy and gives solo recitals at venues across the UK. She works regualrly with local composers, which have included Howard Davidson and Roger Bolton and recent session work has included recording solo viola parts for the BBC2 documentary on the 'Dambusters' (Howard Davidson).

Her orchestral experience has involved playing with the English Symphony Orchestra, Bath Baroque (on period instruments), Bath Philharmonia, the Amadeus Orchestra, New Bristol Sinfonia, the Rehearsal Orchestra, the London Repertoire Orchestra and numerous freelance work with orchestras and pit bands across the UK and Europe. She has accompanied the East London Sinfonia on two tours of Tuscany and had several years of orchestral experience as part of the Southampton Youth Orchestra and with the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Symphony Orchestra. Following two tours to France with Hampshire Sinfonietta, Michelle works as a violist and violinist in a chamber orchestra in France and now makes regular trips with conductor, John Jenkins, to the Dordogne on behalf of Variations Choral Society. Michelle recently performed in a concert with ‘The Priests’ at the Cadogan Hall, London. In addition, she has been Guest Leader on several occasions for the Oadby & Wigston Civic Orchestra in Leicestershire and has been Principal Viola with Bath Concertino and the Orchestra of St John's. Michelle’s professional engagements have included solo appearances with the Argyle String Orchestra playing the Larsson Viola Concertino & Hindemith Trauermusik, a performance of the Hoffmeister Viola Concerto in D with the Oadby & Wigston Civic Orchestra and solo recitals for Wiltshire Rural Music School.

Michelle’s teachers have included Joan Schmeising (Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra), Richard White, Julia Bishop (Red Priest), Lucy Gould (Gould Piano Trio), John Stein (Welsh National Opera) and Martin Humbey (Academy of St Martin in the Fields & English Chamber Orchestra). Michelle graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama with a Postgraduate Diploma in Performance in July 2009 and continues to study with Martin Humbey on viola. Michelle gained a Licentiate Diploma with distinction for performance on viola from Trinity College London (LTCL) in July 2010.

Michelle is available as a violin or viola player for recitals, teaching and coaching. Please contact her on 07749 651010.